Genetics

I've just visited a web site where the photographer merged pictures of siblings to demonstrate how their features are similar and that they could almost be the same person. http://go.jmleclercq.com/pu (Sorry, Blogger doesn't want to add this as a link. You will need to copy the url in your browser! Love Blogger but sometimes, it gets stubborn for no reason!)

Anyway...
I did a similar exercise when I took a drawing class last summer. The theme of the class was Hybrid and I wanted to demonstrate how the mixture of genes from my ancestors evolved into what I am today. I took my grand-parents wedding picture and came up with a strange result. Let me show you.

This is the original picture:


And this is the result of merging them in PhotoShop:


Bizarre, isn't it?

Culinary Collage

I invited my friend Marie-Lisa for a day of arts and crafts today. We made some collages of cakes (drawing them is easier on the thighs!!!) Marie-Lisa is an amazing artist. And she has turned her talent into making amazing cakes. You should have seen the cake she did for my birthday... Ok, ok, I'll show you. I'm just crazy about elephants. This is way too cute to eat...but I ate it anyway (mmm, that was before I did not eat cake anymore!)

I am pushing Marie-Lisa to start her own business so today was devoted to cakes.

Here is the first draft of the logo.

And here's my rendition of a cupcake. (I can't wait for my flowers to bloom!)

Doesn't it make you want to eat cake?

My favorite Tortelini Recipe

I posted this recipe on Quilting Arts blog for a chance to win a book on quilting (I'm a desperate freak, what can I say?). Then, I thought: why not share it with you my friends, especially the ones that are far away whom I never got the chance to invite for a meal.

Flexible Tortelini Rosa (1 to 3 portions depending if you are a pig or not!)

I call it flexible because you can go with the basic recipe for years and be satisfied. But you can be more adventurous and work around the food available in your fridge and also according to your mood (Hey, I don't feel like italian sausage should be part of the recipe everytime!).

If you have kids who don't like pasta, they will love the basic recipe. It's a winner every time.
And it's fast. The sauce is ready when the pasta is done (10 minutes max).

Sorry, I have been doing this recipe for so long I can't remember the quantities. I just play it by ears.

The basic ingredients for the recipe are:
Tortelinis, of course (my favourite are cheese tortelinis)
Stewed tomatoes (canned) or 3 fresh tomatoes (the texture will be different but it will taste just as good)
Onions
Garlic (you decide how much!!!)
Cream cheese - I used to put 125 ml but I am more reasonable. I now use 3 tablespoons.
Salt and pepper

I also add these ingredients whenever they are available in the fridge
Red pepper bells
Sweet italian sausages (or hot if you like it)
Mushrooms
2 or 3 dried tomatoes
1 fresh tomatoe (if I used canned tomatoes above)
5 or 6 black olives per person

Cook the pasta according to recipe. If you don't have tortelinis, feel free to use any other small cut pasta (macaroni, fusili, bowties, etc.)

If you are adding sausages, I suggest you boil them for 10 minutes and cut them in 1 inch pieces before adding them to the recipe. This way, it won't take forever to cook the sauce.

In a pan, poor olive oil and a bit of butter and sauté the onions and garlic for a minute.

Add sausages and sauté for 4-5 minutes.

Add all veggies you want at this point.

When the veggies are well cooked but still crunchy, add the canned tomatoes enough to cover the veggies, lower the temperature and let simmer until the sausage is cooked (5 minutes approx).

Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. (If you are adventurous, try half cream cheese and half creamy goat cheese - with black olives, it it so die for!)

Add salt and pepper. I sometimes add French herbs or any seasonning I'm in the mood for at that time.

Your pasta should be ready by now. After you have strained them, add them to the sauce.

Serve hot topped with fresh grates Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy in this cold weather!

Warmth and Harmony

May this Christmas be filled with harmony (and harmonies too!) and may this year keep you hands and your hearts warm.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Not Too Old Yet

Jérôme has invited me to see Eels at the Théâtre National tonight. Glad he did!

Good show guys. The lead singer has the strangest look... let's say that I would probably be very uncomfortable sitting next to him on an airplane... I think he got arrested in London recently because they thought he was a terrorist!

They play good rock: garage, -abilly and sixties. A few strange songs like I Need Fresh Blood. And in between all this, ballads that can melt your heart, accompanied by steel guitar (for which I have a week spot, I admit). I was expecting bubles when they started to play She's a Spectacular Girl, which plays on their site :

http://www.eelstheband.com/


The crowd was as varigated as the music. All the young Montreal granolas were there (mostly guys - oh, I didn't realize that's probalby because we were in the Village! I'am a bit slow sometimes), and a number of grey hair, mostly couples.

Ahhhh but a warm bath awaits my aching toes. Well... music keeps one young, but bars without stools....

Go Green or Glam Green

I hate waisting anything!

I recycle whatever I can (you should see my workshop...) But I don't really consider myself an environmentalist. As a matter of fact, I am more scrooge than green. I recycle and reuse mostly because it saves me money. Don't get me wrong. I am consciencious of the environment and I haven't let the water run while I brush my teeth since 1990. It's in part by solidarity with all the people who have to walk kilometers to fetch their daily needs for water. But it is also to prepare myself for the day when they will install water meters in our homes!

I often question myself on the relevance of Go green: we must do absolutely everything to protect the environment. But I feel that the Go green often turns into Glam green: recycling and reusing that's more for the show.

Let's take the exemple of the University where I do contract work. New efficiency flush toilets and water regulator sensor sinks have been installed in the seven-floor building. My first clue was with the sinks. For two weeks, I thought I was confused when trying to turn on the faucets. My second clue was the flushing system that changed location on the toilet. (We are creatures of habits after all.) But the last clue was the fresh seal around the toilets and sinks.

So, as I was saying, they've installed efficiency flushes which means that everytime you flush, only a small amount of water is used to push down... well you get the picture. This is a very nice gesture for the environment and I am sure we will soon see a glam green press release about it. But what bugs me about this, is that the old toilets were still in good working condition. Well, maybe a few of them were leaking, and a few of them may have needed to be changed. But all the toilets at the same time? And where did the old toilets go?

When we weight the pros and cons, don't we find ourselves in a Glam green situation? I would really like to know how much money has been spent and which landfill has been filled and how many liters of water will be saved?

My enviromentalist question: Is this where the soon to be raised tuition fees will be flushed?

Oh, I know what you are thinking... These old toilets and sinks can be reused. I can even envision that this summer will see our houses decorated with toilet bowls containing begonias and geraniums. And wouldn't an alley of white enamel flower containers look good in front of the house?

I wonder if my neighbours will appreciate my recycling creativity.

Improv on Cannelle

Let me introduce you to Cannelle, my 12 years old Shelty that I drew for the first time last December. My friend Johanne showed me a new drawing technique using a light box, a picture (taken by my friend Jerôme when I first got Cannelle from the SPCA 6 years ago), and my most precious Crayola crayons.

For a long time, I thought I couldn't draw until I took drawing classes with Josée Duclos, an artist that I really appreciate and who helped me find my own style. It wasn't easy, but since then, I do more improvisation instead of trying to draw exact replicas, which I am never able to do anyway.

Only recently have I been more forgiving to myself and have been using my own drawings in my arts and crafts. And, with forgiveness comes the liberty to express myself. I now take more risks in exploring new techniques and I am often surprized at the results.